1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer system capable of automatically creating a list of a plurality of object files to be executed and a karaoke system comprising the computer system.
2. Related Art
As is publicly known, a communication karaoke system has achieved widespread use the system delivers music information for karaoke purposes to karaoke terminals disposed in bars, such as karaoke bars, from a host computer installed in the center station over a communications line. In particular, a recently known karaoke system offers users newly released music and a variety of information items in the form of commercial messages run in between karaoke performances.
Further, another type of karaoke system is conceived which offers users information services, such as games and tour information, as well as commercial messages.
In the karaoke industry, the rendering of a variety of information services such as games and guidance to the user is briskly planned. This type of information service can be also applied to a common computer system, like the one in the communication karaoke system.
With the increasing number of types of information services to be offered through the karaoke system, a menu of available services becomes necessary. In many cases, however, commercial messages and information services to be offered may differ from karaoke bar to karaoke bar. For this reason, one is required to prepare an individual menu for each karaoke bar, which results in laborious work. It is desirable to change the contents of commercial messages and information services corresponding to seasons and time periods in order to respond to customer needs. However, it becomes necessary to modify the menu each time the commercial messages and information services are changed.
Specifically, it is preferable for provide a service in view of an individual status a such as age, sex, favorite while using the karaoke. However, in this case, it is necessary to prepare the menu depending on each individual. Then, thus it becomes difficult to achieve this purpose.
A conventional computer system and a karaoke system using the computer system have failed to grasp what kind of information service is accessed, which in turn makes it impossible to know customer needs and market trends.
Some of information services are pay services, and therefore it becomes necessary to charge for the information services. However, a conventional karaoke system is not designed so as to sufficiently cope with accounting operations. For this reason, the conventional karaoke system has encountered problems when offering pay information services.
When a variety of information services such as commercial messages are offered, the services are generally offered in the form of a file that has descriptions of control related to the display of contents or key operations. This file is read and executed by a CPU of a karaoke terminal, whereby predetermined information services are offered. Such information services can be offered through a common computer system as through the karaoke system.
However, a file used in conventional information services comprises program portions and data portions in an inseparable manner. For example, even in the case of a file using the same data (e.g., image or musical sound data), the system has such a structure that each file individually holds data.
With the increasing number of information service to be offered through the karaoke system, there arises the issue of how to access a desired service from a normal karaoke performance mode.
Specifically, provided that complicated operations or much time is required to access a service, the service may not be used even if many services are prepared.
It was impossible for the conventional karaoke system to accept a karaoke request while the information service is being offered. If this becomes possible, it will be very convenient for the user.
The present invention has been conceived in view of the above-described drawbacks in the related art background, and the primary object of the present invention is to provide a karaoke system capable of quickly offering a desired service with simple operations. Another object of the present invention is to provide a karaoke terminal capable of easily accepting a karaoke request while an information service is offered. Such a problem arises in a computer system which offers a variety of information services as well as the karaoke system.
The present invention has been conceived in view of the above-described drawback in the related background art, and the primary object of the present invention is to provide a computer system capable of automatically generating a menu corresponding to changes in information services to be offered, and a karaoke system employing that computer system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a computer system capable of automatically generating a menu according to the individual status of the user.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a computer system and a karaoke system that make it possible to know customer needs and market trends by grasping the use of information services.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a karaoke system capable of performing accounting operations even when providing pay information services.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a computer system and a karaoke system that are capable of sharing data to be used (e.g, image, musical sound, or sound source data) among files which provide services, in the case where a variety of information services such as commercial messages are rendered.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a karaoke system capable of quickly offering a desired service with simple operations. Another object of the present invention is to provide a karaoke terminal capable of easily accepting a karaoke request while an information service is offered.
To solve the above-described drawback, a computer system of the present invention is provided with storage means for holding a plurality of object files, each file including a program and information on the genre of music. The computer system selects an object file from the storage means and executes a program stored in the selected object file. The computer system further comprising retrieval means for retrieving object files classified in a specified genre, list generating means for generating a list consisting of titles that correspond to the object files retrieved by the retrieval means, and display means for displaying the list generated by the list generating means.
According to the present invention, the computer system is provided by the fact that each object file has title information for use in displaying a title that suits the contents of that object file, and that the list generating means generates the list on the basis of the title information contained in the object file retrieved by the retrieval means.
According to the present invention, the computer system is provided by comprising genre determination means for determining the specified genre in response to a user""s operations.
A karaoke system of the present invention employs the computer system described above. The karaoke system is provided by comprising karaoke playing means which stores karaoke music information in the storage means, synthesizes a musical sound by reading the karaoke music information from the storage means, and produces an output by mixing the synthesized musical sound with a voice input through a mike. The karaoke system further comprises switching means for switching between the execution of the object file and the performance of karaoke music carried out by the karaoke playing means.
According to the present invention, the karaoke system is provided by the fact that the performance of karaoke music carried out by the karaoke playing means is described in the program of the object file as a selectable instruction.
According to the present invention, a computer system includes storage means for storing a plurality of object files, each file including a program and information on the genre of music, and that selects an object file from the storage means and executes a program stored in the selected object file, the improvement being provided by comprising: ID information reading means for reading ID information that includes personal information of a user; genre determination means for determining an individual genre corresponding to the personal information read by the ID information reading means; retrieval means for retrieving object files which fall within both a specified genre and the individual genre determined by the genre determination means; list generating means for generating a list consisting of titles that correspond to the object files retrieved by the retrieval means; and display means for displaying the list generated by the list generating means.
According to the computer system of the present invention, each object file has title information for use in displaying a title that suits the contents of that object file, and the list generating means generates the list on the basis of the title information contained in the object file retrieved by the retrieval means.
According to the computer system of the present invention, there is provided genre determination means for determining the specified genre in response to a user""s operations.
A karaoke system that employs the computer system described above, includes karaoke playing means which stores karaoke music information in the storage means, which synthesizes a musical sound by reading the karaoke music information from the storage means, and which produces an output by mixing the synthesized musical sound with a voice input through a mike; and switching means for switching between the execution of the object file and the performance of karaoke music carried out by the karaoke playing means.
According to the karaoke system of the present invention, the performance of karaoke music carried out by the karaoke playing means is described in the program of the object file as a selectable instruction.
According to the karaoke system of the present invention, the ID information is stored in an ID card, and the ID information reading means is made up of an ID card reader.
To solve the above-described problem, a computer system of the present invention, includes storage means for storing a plurality of object files, each file including a program and information on the genre of music, as well as selecting an object file from the storage means and executing a program stored in the selected object file. The computer system is provided by comprising determination means for determining whether or not each object has been executed, and execution status storage means for storing a determination result, which is made by the determination means, for each object
A computer system of the present invention, includes storage means for storing a plurality of object files, each file including a program and information on the genre of music, as well as selecting an object file from the storage means and executing a program stored in the selected object file. The computer system is provided by comprising determination means for determining whether or not each object has been executed, and number-of-times storage means for storing how many times each object has been executed, on the basis of a determination result of the determination means.
According to the present invention, the computer system is provided by further comprising menu generation means for generating a menu for the object which changes the sequence of display of menus on the basis of the number of times each object is executed that is stored in the number-of-times storage means.
A karaoke system of the present invention employs the computer system described above. The karaoke system is provided by comprising karaoke playing means which stores karaoke music information in the storage means, which synthesizes a musical sound by reading the karaoke music information from the storage means, and which produces an output by mixing the synthesized musical sound with a voice input through a mike; and switching means for switching between the execution of the object file and the performance of karaoke music carried out by the karaoke playing means.
To solve the above-described drawbacks, a karaoke system, according to the present invention, includes a computer system that selects an object file from storage means for holding a plurality of object files including programs and executes a program stored in the selected object file. The karaoke system is provided by comprising karaoke playing means which stores karaoke music information in the storage means, which synthesizes a musical sound by reading the karaoke music information from the storage means, and which produces an output by mixing the synthesized musical sound with a voice input through a mike; switching means for switching between the execution of the object file and the performance of karaoke music carried out by the karaoke playing means; cash inserting device that outputs information about the amount of money inserted by a user; determination means for determining whether or not the object file is executed or whether or not the karaoke playing means performs karaoke music by comparing the amount of money inserted by the user with a charge for the execution of the object file or the performance of karaoke music, if the execution of the object file or the performance of karaoke music carried out by the karaoke is a pay service; accounting means that permits the execution of the object file or the performance of karaoke music if the determination means has determined that the execution of the object file or the performance of karaoke music is allowable, and that displays a message so as to encourage the user to insert money as well as rendering the termination of the execution of the object file or performance of karaoke music selectable if the determination means has determined. that the execution of the object file or the performance of karaoke music is not allowable; and the determination means that again determines whether or not the object file is executed or whether or not the karaoke playing means performs karaoke music, in consideration of newly received money information if the money information is output from the cash inserting device after the accounting means has encouraged the user to insert money.
According to the present invention, the karaoke system is provided by further comprising operation means for providing instructions regarding various processing operations in accordance with the user""s operations; and operation invalidating means that invalidates specific operations, which are performed by operation means, under predetermined conditions after the accounting means has permitted the execution of the object file or the performance of karaoke music.
To solve the above-described problem, a computer system, according to the present invention includes storage means for storing a plurality of object files including programs, as well as selecting an object file from the storage means and executing a program stored in the selected object file. The computer system is provided by the fact that data referred to by the program of the object file are individually stored in the storage means as a resource file, and that an arbitrary resource can be specified by the program of each object file.
According to the present invention, the computer system is provided by further comprising information file receiving means that receives from the outside an information file consisting of the object file and the resource file, and that individually stores into the storage means the object file and the resource file contained in the received information file.
A karaoke system that employs the computer system, comprises karaoke playing means which stores karaoke music information in the storage means, which synthesizes a musical sound by reading the karaoke music information from the storage means, and which produces an output by mixing the synthesized musical sound with a voice input through a mike; and switching means for switching between the execution of the object file and the performance of karaoke music carried out by the karaoke playing means.
According to the present invention, the karaoke system is provided by the fact that the performance of karaoke music carried out by the karaoke playing means is described in the program of the object file as a selectable instruction.
To solve the above-described drawbacks, a karaoke system, according to the present invention, includes a computer system that selects an object file from storage means for holding a plurality of object files including programs and executes a program stored in the selected object file. The karaoke system is provided by comprising karaoke playing means which stores karaoke music information in the storage means, which synthesizes a musical sound by reading the karaoke music information from the storage means, and which produces an output by mixing the synthesized musical sound with a voice input through a mike; switching means for switching between the execution of the object file and the performance of karaoke music carried out by the karaoke playing means; an object file for use in displaying a menu that is stored in the storage means, and that includes a program for displaying a title list matching up with predetermined object files and a program for encouraging the execution of an object file when it is selected from the title list; and object file execution instructing means that provides an instruction for execution of the menu display object file when a predetermined operation is carried out by a user.
According to the present invention, the karaoke system is provided by the fact that the karaoke playing means produces a request queue which represents each requested sound each time karaoke music is requested, and synthesizes a musical sound by sequentially reading the karaoke music information in accordance with the order of the request queues, and
wherein the object file execution instructing means produces an instruction for executing the menu display object file after the performance of the karaoke music corresponding to the last request queue has finished if the request queue is prepared when the predetermined operations are performed.
According to the present invention, the karaoke system is provided by the fact that the karaoke playing means produces a request queue which represents each requested sound each time karaoke music is requested, and synthesizes a musical sound by sequentially reading the karaoke music information in accordance with the order of the request queues, and
wherein the object file execution instructing means produces an instruction for executing the menu display object file immediately after the karaoke music currently being played has finished if the request queue is prepared when the predetermined operations are performed.
According to the present invention, the karaoke system is provided by the fact that the performance of karaoke music carried out by the karaoke playing means is described in the program of the object file as a selectable instruction.
According to the present invention, the karaoke system is provided by the fact that if the performance of music carried out by the karaoke playing means is specified by the program of the object file, the performance of the music requested during the course of execution of an object file is prioritized in an interrupted manner, irrespective of a request queue which has already been generated when the performance is specified.
According to the present invention, the karaoke system is provided by the fact that if the performance of music carried out by the karaoke playing means is specified by the program of the object file, a second request queue is added so as to follow the request queue that has already been generated at the time of the initiation of the object file after the second request queue has been generated with respect to the music requested during the execution of the object file as well as the execution of the object file having finished.
As described above, by virtue of the computer system and the karaoke system of the present invention, menus can be automatically generated according to genre on the basis of variations in information services to be offered. Further, by virtue of the karaoke system of the present invention, a karaoke performance can be carried out while the information service is offered to the user.
As previously described, by virtue of the present invention, a menu can be automatically generated according to the individual status of the user.
As described above, by virtue of the present invention, it is possible to grasp the use of information services, whereby customers needs and market trends can be obtained. Particularly, by virtue of the computer system and the karaoke system of the present invention, the sequence of menus of information services changes depending on the use of information services, which makes it possible to maintain the ease of use.
As described above, by virtue of the present invention, accounting operations can be carried out appropriately even when pay information services are offered. Specifically, a karaoke system is capable of automatically carrying out a settling operation with respect to various accounting operations.
As described above, by virtue of the present invention, accounting operations can be carried out appropriately even when pay information services are offered. Specifically, a karaoke system is capable of automatically carrying out a settling operation with respect to various accounting operations.
As described above, where a variety of information services such as commercial messages are offered, data to be used (e.g., image, musical sound, or sound source data) can be shared among files which provide service. Further, the utilization of data can also be managed easily.
As described above, by virtue of the present invention, it is possible to quickly access a desired service with simple operations. Further, by virtue of the present invention , it is possible to easily accept a karaoke request while an information service is offered.